Auxiliary needle bar assembly and control



April 28, 1964 H. O. WERNER AUXILIARY NEEDLE BAR ASSEMBLY AND CONTROL Filed July so, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR HARRY 0 WERNER.

A TTORNE Y April 28, 1964 H. o. WERNER AUXILIARY NEEDLE BAR ASSEMBLY AND CONTROL 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 30, 1962 HARRY o. WERNER. a;

'A TTOkNEY April 28, 1964 H. o. WERNER v AUXILIARY NEEDLE BAR ASSEMBLY AND CONTROL 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed July 50, 1962 INVENTOR. HARRY O. WERNER A TTORNE Y April 28, 1964 H. o. WERNER AUXILIARY NEEDLE BAR ASSEMBLY AND CONTROL 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed July 30, 1962 INVENTOR HARRY O. WERNER.

2 M QW A TTORNE Y United States Patent 3,130,555 AUXILIARY NEEDLE BAR ASSEli/ELY AND CUNTRGL Harry 0. Werner, Philadelphia, Pa, assignor to Wiidman Jacquard Co., Nerristown, Pm, a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed .luly 30, 1952, Ser. No. 213,483 5 Claims. (Cl. 6688) This invention pertains to improvements in straight bar knitting machines which are adapted to knit true rib fabric, transfer automatically to the knitting of jersey in continuation of said rib fabric and, more particularly, to a novel means of selectively withdrawing and presenting certain needles to and from their operating positions during the knitting cycle.

It is a general object of the invention to provide an auxiliary needle bar control mechanism for a straight bar knitting machine for selectively withdrawing intermediate needles from operating position and to permit the alternate needles to function in conjunction with a bar of needles preferably of the latch type when forming rib fabric during each knitting cycle.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a needle bar control mechanism that is effective automatically to present selectively all the needles of one bed or to withdraw every other one from a knitting position during certain phases of the knitting cycle.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed disclosure.

In the knitting of string work in the form of garment halves such, for example, as the fronts or backs of sweaters on fashioning type straight bar knitting machines, that is, machines of the type disclosed in patent application Serial No. 699,345, filed November 27, 1957, wherein it is possible to knit true rib fabric, transfer automatically to the knitting of jersey fabric and continue jersey knitting for any desired extent, multiple needle beds are utilized and are caused to function in unison during certain phases of the knitting cycle.

A first needle bed is disposed in a substantially vertical position having a plurality of preferably spring beard needles extending upwardly therefrom and being of the composite type; it comprises a main needle bar and an auxiliary needle bar. The main needle bar has fixed therein a number of needles which will be referred to as alternate needles and the auxiliary needle bar carries what will be termed intermediate needles. During certain phases of the knitting cycle, such, for example, during the knitting of jersey, these two bars are caused to function in unison with all the needles of both bars aligned and active. During the knitting of rib fabric, the auxiliary needle bar is caused to move downwardly automatically to withdraw the intermediate needles to an inactive position. It is at this point in the knitting cycle that a second needle bed is brought into action and the needles carried in this bed are caused to function in conjunction with the alternate needles carried by the main needle bar of the first needle bed. The second needle bed is disposed at right angles to the first and is provided with a plurality of preferably latch needles equal in number to the number of needles carried by the main needle bar of the first needle bed. These latch needles are in line with the intermediate needles carried by the auxiliary bar and when the latter are withdrawn to an inactive position, said latch needles are automatically advanced and are caused to function between and in conjunction with the alternate spring beard needles.

The aforementioned patent application Serial No. 699,- 345, filed November 27, 1957, being representative of the type of knitting machine to which applicant has applied his invention, it is considered suflicient at this point to make reference to that disclosure for a detailed de- Patented Apr. 28, 1964 scription of the general aspects of construction and operation of such a knitting machine.

According to the invention a novel and improved means can now be provided for raising and lowering the auxiliary needle bar to present and withdraw the intermediate spring beard needles to and from their knitting positions. The auxiliary bar is provided with a number of rack gears which are attached vertically and are equally spaced along the length of said auxiliary bar. These rack gears are in meshing relation with an equal number of oscillatable gear members which are positioned on a horizontal shaft that is situated forward of and parallel with the auxiliary needle bar. This horizontal shaft is provided with gear plate members on each end which include contact pins assembled to the outer ends thereof. The usual known mechanism is utilized for raising and lowering the complete needle bed during stitch formation by the needles carried in this bed. A fixed shaft immediately below the needle bed and which extends the full width of the knitting machine, has assembled adjacent each end thereof and in alignment with the gear plate members positioned on the horizontal shaft wln'ch runs parallel with the auxiliary bar, slide block brackets which carry and guide needle control slides on the upper portions thereof. These slide members are cam controlled by means of interconnecting linkages and a cam follower which is caused to transmit the dictates of a continually rotating cam to said slide members in timed relation with the knitting cycle. The slide members are provided with a number of abutments which, when moved into operating position, are caused to contact the contact pins that are assembled on the outer ends of the gear plate members when the needle bed is moving in a downwardly direction. Contact between these members causes the gear plate members to move in a counterclockwise direction which in turn move the oscillatable gears and rack gears in mesh therewith, thus moving the auxiliary bar and intermediate needles carried therein to an inactive position. The aforementioned horizontal shaft in addition to the oscillatable gears is provided with a number of cam members equal in number and fixedly assembled adjacent to said gears. Movement of these cams controls the locking and unlocking of needle clamps to facilitate the moving of the intermediate needles to and from their knitting positions. At the completion of the rib portion of a garment half, the above motion is reversed, the slide members are moved to a position which causes different abutments positioned thereon to contact the opposite contact pins on the gear plates, and movement thereof introduces a counterclockwise movement to the horizontal shaft, causing the cams to unlock the needle clamps and the gear members are caused to raise the auxiliary bar. Raising of the auxiliary bar places the intermediate needles carried thereby in knitting position and in alignment with the alternate needles for the purpose of knitting jersey fabric in continuation of the newly completed rib portion.

The invention will hereinafter be described in greater detail by reference to the accompanying figures of drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a section taken through a part of a fashioning type straight bar knitting maciL'ne and looking in the direction of line 11 in FIG. 5 to which the invention has been applied;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 5 showing the first needle bed, the needle clamping means, main and auxiliary needle bars, the gearing utilized to raise and lower the auxiliary bar and the cam means for locking and unlocking the needle clamps;

FIG. 3 is a View partially in section showing the camming means used to lock and unlock the needle clamping members;

FIG. 4 is a view in front elevation of a part of the mechanism shown in FIG. 3 showing the means of manually opening the needle clamps for the purpose of replacing broken needles, etc.;

FIG. 5 is a view in front elevation of part of the knitting machine as looking in the direction of the indicating arrow 5 in FIG. 1; and

FIGS. 6, 7, 8, 9, l and 11 are similar views partially in section showing the various positions the abutments on the slide members are caused to assume to withdraw and present selectively the intermediate spring beard needles from and to their knitting positions, FIGS. 6 and 9 being neutral positions.

Now referring to the figures of drawing, FIG. 1 illustrates that part of a kn tting machine to which the instant invention has been applied and includes among other parts a main needle bed indicated generally by numeral 29 and being of the composite type, it is provided with a main needle bar 21 from which a plurality of spring beard needles 22 extends and which will hereinafter be referred to as alternate needles. Immediately below and contiguous with the main needle bar 21 the needle bed is provided with an auxiliary needle bar 23 from which a plurality of spring beard needles 24 also extends. These needles 24 extend upwardly between the alternate needles 22 and being in alignment therewith, they will hereinafter be referred to as the intermediate needles.

When knitting jersey fabric, all of the alternate and intermcdiate needles are caused to function in unison; however, at the completion of one garment half the intermediate needles 24 are withdrawn to an inactive position by lowering the auxiliary needle bar 23.

The mechanism for controlling movement of this auxiliary needle bar constitutes the invention and among its various components includes a number of rack gears 25 assembled on the front side thereof by means of shouldered screws 26. The heads and shouldered portions of these screws fit into appropriate apertures equally spaced along the length of the auxiliary bar and the threaded portion of said screws assemble in approximately centrally disposed tapped holes provided on the back side of the rack gears 25 as at 27.

A horizontal shaft 23 situated forward of the auxiliary needle bar 23 extends horizontally the width of and in approximate alignment with said needle bar. Shaft 28 is supported and journaled in a plurality of bearing brackets 29 which are situated at spaced intervals along the lengt of said shaft and are suitably attached to the needle bed 2@ by means of cap screws 39 (FIG. 1 and A plurality of fioatiugly assembled gear members 31 are carried by shaft 2%. They are equal in number to and in meshing relation with the rack gears 25 which are supported and guided in the body portion 32 of the needle bed 2i Immediately adjacent to each gear member 31 shaft 28 is provided with cam members 33 which are fixedly positioned on said shaft by means of a pin 34 as shown in FIG. 2 of the drawings. As illustrated in FIG. 2, cam member 33 is provided forward of its centerline axis with a drilled hole 35 which extends parallel with said centerline axis and from one side of the cam to its opposite side. One side of hole 35 is threaded and is adapted to receive therein a set screw 36 (FIG. 5). The remaining portion of the hole is adapted to house a spring member 37 and a plunger detent 38. Spring member 37 being positioned between set screw 36 and the plunger detent 38 causes the latter to be spring biased in the direction of the gear member 31 and set screw 36 is effective in increasing or decreasing the amount of spring pressure acting upon said plunger detent. One end of the detent protrudes from the side of cam member 33 and, being spring biased in that direction, it is caused to bear against the side of the floating gear member 31. Each gear member 311's provided with an indent (not shown) on the side thereof which in a manner to be more fully explained hereinafter is adapted to receive the tip of the plunger detent 33 when shaft 28 is caused to turn. This movement engages the floating gear members 31 causing them to move in unison with shaft 28 and being in meshing relation with the rack gears 25, the latter are caused to move upwardly or downwardly, thus presenting or withdrawing the auxiliary bar of intermediate needles to or from knitting position. This direction of movement depends, of course, on the direction of movement of shaft 2% which is selectively governed by the phase of the knitting cycle it is entering. When the rack gears have reached their limit of travel, a slightly further movement of the cam members 33 on shaft 28 forces the tips of the detents 38 out of the indents thus keeping the intermediate needles in their selected location during that particular phase of the knitting cycle.

Cam members 33 also serve as a means for initiating the unlocking and locking of a number of needle clamps indicated generally by numeral 46 which are adjacently positioned along the inner side of the needle bed 20. These needle clamps are generally L-shaped and by means of pins 41 they are pivotally assembled to integrally formed lug members 42 which extend rearwardly from the base portion 43 of the needle bed 20 (FIG. 2). The needle clamping members have a first side 44 which extends suhstantially upwardly with respect to the needle bed, and its upper forward surface 45 being provided with a liner 46 made of any suitable material such, for example, as the various forms of hard rubber, is caused to bear against the needles to lock them in their desired position during the knitting cycle. A second or lower side 47 extends forwardly from its pivot point immediately below the body portion 32 of the needle bed and is adapted to receive the dictates of cam member 33 thus controlling the locking and unlocking of the needles 22 and 24.

The body portion 32 of the needle bed has a lower portion 8 which extends forwardly with respect to its location on a knitting machine, and in an appropriate hole provided therein, houses a spring biased locking plunger 49. These locking plungers are equal in number to the number of cam members 33 carried on shaft 28 and are assembled in such a manner that one end of said plunger is in contact with cam member 33 and its opposite end with the end of a headless set screw 50 that can be turned inwardly or outwardly thus controlling the spring pres sure caused to act upon said plunger member.

The series of needle clamps 40 positioned along the length of the needle bed are effective in clamping groups of alternate and intermediate needles such, for example, as the first needle clamp or end clamp is effective in clamping all needles aligned with the upper forward surface 45 of said clamp and the next adjacent clamp is effective in clamping that group of needles which align with its upper forward surface 45. In the event of a broken needle or one that needs replacing, the individual needle clamps can be separately opened manually as illustrated by the phantom lines in FIGS. 3 and 4 of the drawings. This feature facilitates replacement of the needles since the majority of all the needles can remain in a locked position and undisturbed. The means utilized for opening the individual needle clamps 40 include threaded pins 51 assembled in the forward ends of the lower side 47 of the needle clamps 4i Extending forwardly pins 51 protrude beyond the front of the needle bed mounting bracket 52 to which a clamping latch 53 is pivotally attached by means of a screw 54. To open the individual clamps, shaft 23 is turned to the unlocked position which places cam 33 in that position shown in FIG. 3; the clamping latch 53 is then turned in a clockwise direction to that position illustrated by dotted lines in FIG. 4. Turning of latch 53 in this manner causes the pin 51 to ride over surface 55 of said latch and thence into pocket 56. This movement raises pin 51 to the dotted line position shown in FIG. 3 thus opening the first side 44 of the needle clamp to the dotted line position shown in this figure of drawing.

The mechanism utilized to turn shaft 28 first in one direction and then the other to initiate the raising and lowering of the auxiliary needle bar, includes gear pinions 57 assembled on the outer ends of said shaft 28. These gear pinions 57 are in meshing relation with gear members 58 which are floatingly assembled on horizontally and laterally directed studs 59 which protrude from the ends 60 of the lower portion 48 of the needle bed. Studs 59 protrude through and beyond the hub portions of gear members 58 and are adapted to receive thereon gear plates generally indicated by numeral 61. These gear plates are secured to gear members 58 by means of screws 62 and 63 (FIG. 1) whose threaded portions pass through appropriate apertures in said plates and assemble in aligned tapped holes provided in the sides of said gear members. Gear plates 61 are provided with opposed arms 64 and 65 with arm 64 being directed in a generally forwardly direction and said arm 65 in a generally rearwardly direction. Each of these arms are provided on their outer ends with laterally extending contact pins 66 and 67, respectively.

Immediately below the needle bed, a stationary shaft 68 extends the full width of the knitting machine with the ends thereof assembled in the side frame members 69 and 69. Numeral 69 identifies the right-hand frame member and 69', the left-hand.

The remaining mechanism for controlling the action of the auxiliary needle bar utilizes many parts on the left-hand side of the knitting machine which are counterparts of those used on the right-hand side, and since they function to obtain identical results, they will be identified with the same numeral as the right-hand parts, but with the addition of a prime.

Stationary slide brackets 70 and 70 are assembled on shaft 68 in direct alignment with the gear plates 61 which are located at each end of the needle bed 20. These slide brackets are provided on their upper surfaces with control slides 71 and 71' which are selectively and automatically movable horizontally in forwardly and rearwardly directions as shown by the indicating arrow in FIG. 1. Adjustable screws 72, 72', 73, 73' and 74 the heads of which serve as abutments assemble in and extend upwardly from the upper surface of the control slides 71 and 71'. These adjustable screws or abutments are movable with the control slides and during certain phases of the knitting cycle are caused to be moved into vertical alignment with the contact pins 66 and 67 carried on the outer ends of gear plates 61.

The means of selectively sliding the control slides 71 and 71' to and fro includes control slide links 75 and 75' the forward ends of which are attached to the trailing portion of said control slides as at S in FIG. 1. The opposite ends of links 75 and 75' are pivotally attached to the upper extremity of generally vertically directed upper control levers 76 and 76. The lower portion of these levers terminates in the form of hubs 77 and 77 which are pivotally assembled on inwardly directed stud members 78 and 78' that are fixedly attached to the side frame members 69 and 69'. Intermediate the ends of levers 76 and 76' integrally formed and forwardly directed lug portions 79 and 79 are provided and have pivotally attached thereto the upper ends of lever connecting links 86 and 80'. The opposite ends of these lever connecting links are attached in a like manner to the upper extremity of lower control levers 81 and 81'. Hubs 82 and 32 form the lower portion of levers 81 and 81' and being assembled on a fixed shaft 83 that extends the width of the machine, these lever members are caused to move in unison on said shaft by means of a tie bar 84 which is attached by means of cap screws 85 to integrally formed and forwardly extending portions 86 and 86 of said hubs.

The lower control lever 81 is formed in much the same manner as the upper control levers 76 and 76', having intermediate its ends an integrally formed and forwardly directed lug portion 87. The upper end of a motion control link 88 is pivotally attached to the lug portion 87 of the lower control lever 81 and extending in a generally downwardly direction, its opposite end is attached in a like manner to the upper forward end of a cam follower member indicated generally by numeral 89. A hub 90 forms the lower trailing portion of this cam follower and provides a means for pivotally assembling this member to the stud 91 shown in FIG. 1. The lower forward surface or cam follower portion 92 is caused to follow the outer periphery of a constantly ratcheted drum 93 which is rotating in the direction of the indicating arrow shown in FIG. 1. A plurality of cam members of varying heights 94 are attached to the outer periphery of drums 93 and in the path of the cam follower 92. The rotation of drum 93 and contact between the various cams assembled thereon and the cam follower member 92, lifts and lowers the latter in timed sequence with the knitting cycle permitting the auxiliary bar of intermediate needles to be automatically withdrawn from or presented to its operating position at the required time during said knitting cycle.

In operation, the needle bed 29 is caused to reciprocate vertically in a manner well known to those familiar with the art and it is during the downward movement of the needle bed that the mechanism for moving the auxiliary needle bar is caused to function.

The raising and lowering of cam follower 92 transmits the dictates of cam members 94 which initiate this motion through the interconnecting linkages and control levers to the control slides 71 and 71 causing the latter to reciprocate horizontally in timed relation with the knitting cycle. When changing from the knitting of jersey fabric to the knitting of rib fabric, the intermediate needles are withdrawn to an inactive position to permit the alternate needles to function in conjunction with a separate bar of latch needles. The moving of the auxiliary bar of intermediate needles is accomplished by selectively placing the abutments or adjustable screws 72, 73 and 74 from the neutral position depicted by FIG. 6 to that position shown in FIG. 7 followed by that position shown in FIG. 8. FIG. 6 shows the slide member 71 in a neutral position which permits the needle bed to reciprocate in the usual manner during the formation of jersey fabric without the gear plate 61 making contact with the abutments, and FIGS. 7 and 8 show the selected positions said slide member is caused to assume to effect movement of said gear plate. As shown in these views of drawing, slides 71 and 71' vertically align pin 67 and screw 74 and next, the needle bed during a first downward movement causes contact pin 67 to be pushed upwardly when making contact with screw 74 to the dotted line position of FIG. 7. This movement causes gear plate 61 and gear member 58 which is attached thereto to move in a counterclockwise direction thus turning pinion 57 and shaft 28 in a clockwise direction. Cam members 33 being fixed to shaft 28 are caused to move therewith first to unlock the needle clamps 40 and secondly, to permit the detents 38 carried by said cam to enter the indents provided on the sides of the floatingly assembled gear members 31 causing the latter to move in unison with shaft 28. On the following downward movement of the needle bed, slides 71 and 71' are moved to align vertically pin 67 and screw 73 and contact pin 67 is caused to strike the higher screw 73 moving gear plate 61 to the dotted line position shown in FIG. 8. This added movement causes shaft 28 to turn a still greater distance in a clockwise direction and gear members 31 being in meshing relation with rack gears 25, the latter are caused to be lowered and carry the auxiliary bar of intermediate needles attached thereto to an inactive position. When the rack gears have reached their limit of travel, the terminus portion of movement of earns 33 in this clockwise direction locks the needle clamp against Z the alternate needles that remained in knitting position and forces the detents 33 out of the indents.

To raise the rack gears and place the auxiliary bar of intermediate needles back in knitting position, the above motion is reversed as depicted in FIGS. 9, and 11 of the drawings. FIG. 9 shows the neutral position of the slide member 71, the relative position of the gear plate 61 during the formation of rib fabric, and FIGS. 10 and 11 show the selected positions said \slide member is caused to assume to effect movement thereof. The needle bed is lowered in the usual regular manner and the gear plates 61, being aligned with slide 71 in that position shown in FIG. 10, cause the contact pins 66 to first istrike screw 72 resulting in a counterclockwise movement of shaft 28 and cams 33. This movement unlocks the needle clamps once again and inserts the detents to effect movement of gear members 31. On the next downward stroke of the needle bed, further movement of shaft 28 through contact pin 66 striking the higher screw 73 causes gear members 3 1 to push the rack gears upwardly carrying the auxiliary bar back to its initial position. As with the withdrawing motion, the terminus portion of move-v ment of cams 33 causes the needle clamps to lock against all the needles and forces the detents from the indents in said gear members.

While one embodiment of the invention has been disclosed, it is to be understood that the inventive concept may be carried out in a number of ways. This invention is, therefore, not to be limited to the precise details described, but is intended to embrace all variations and modifications thereof falling within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. In a straight bar type knitting machine having a generally vertically disposed needle bed adapted to carry a plurality of needles along the length thereof, said needle bed comprising a main and an auxiliary needle bar, alternate needles fixed in said main needle bar and intermediate needles fixed in said auxiliary lbar, means for separately moving said auxiliary needle bar to withdraw said intermediate needles from action to an inactive position and to return said intermediate needles selectively to an active position in alignment with said alternate needles, which comprises rack gears fixed to said auxiliary bar and selectively movable to cause said intermediate needles to move to and from operating position, oscillatable gear members in meshing relation with said rack gears, and cam controlled linkages adapted to function in conjunction therewith.

2. In a straight bar type knitting machine having a generally vertically disposed needle bed adapted to carry a plurality of needles along the length thereof, said needle bed comprising a main and an auxiliary needle bar, alternate needles fixed in said main needle bar and intermediate needles fixed in said auxiliary bar, means for separately moving said auxiliary needle bar to withdraw said intermediate needles from action to an inactive position, and to return said intermediate needles selectively to an active position in alignment with said alternate needles,

a further means for raising and lowering said rack gears to present and Withdraw said intermediate needles from their knitting positions, said further means including oscillatable gear members in meshing relation with said rack gears, a gear plate member including contact pins on each end thereof and interconnected with said oscillatable gear members, a movable needle control slide having abutments of variable heights adapted to contact said contact pins to effect movement of said oscillatable gears and rack gears to place selectively said intermediate needles from one position to the other.

3. The structure of claim 2 wherein said abutments on said movable needle control slide are equally spaced with two of equal height and an intermediate abutment of greater height than said two.

4. The structure of claim '2 wherein said needle control slide is movable in \a horizontal direction to enable alignment of one of said contact pins with one of said abutments.

5. In a straight bar type knitting machine having a generally vertically disposed needle bed adapted to carry a plurality of needles along the length thereof, said needle bed comprising a main and an auxiliary needle bar, alternate needles fixed in said main needle bar and intermediate needles fixed in said auxiliary bar, means for sepa rately moving said auxiliary needle bar to withdraw said intermediate needles from action to an inactive position, and to return said intermediate needles selectively to an active position in alignment with said alternate needles, which comprises rack gears fixed to said auxiliary bar and a further means for raising and lowering said rack gears to present and Withdraw said intermediate needles from their knitting positions, said further means includ ing oscillatable gear members in meshing relation with said rack gears, a gear plate member including contact pins on each end thereof and interconnected with said oscillatable gear members, a movable needle control slide having abutments of variable heights adapted to contact said contact pins to effect movement of said oscillatable gears and rack gears to place selectively said intermediate needles from one position to the other, a drum memher, a plurality of stepped cams assembled to the outer periphery of said drum member, a cam follower adapted to transmit the dictates of said stepped cams and interconnecting linkage arms having one end thereof attached to said cam follower and the opposite end being attached to said needle control slide efiecting horizontal movement thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,823,323 Weisbecker Feb. 18, 1958 2,918,810 Philip Dec. 29, 1959 2,957,324 Willner Oct. 25, 1960 3,066,511 Brooke Dec. 4, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS 867,391 Great Britain May 10, 1961 

1. IN A STRAIGHT BAR TYPE KNITTING MACHINE HAVING A GENERALLY VERTICALLY DISPOSED NEEDLE BED ADAPTED TO CARRY A PLURALITY OF NEEDLES ALONG THE LENGTH THEREOF, SAID NEEDLE BED COMPRISING A MAIN AND AN AUXILIARY NEEDLE BAR, ALTERNATE NEEDLES FIXED IN SAID MAIN NEEDLE BAR AND INTERMEDIATE NEEDLES FIXED IN SAID AUXILIARY BAR, MEANS FOR SEPARATELY MOVING SAID AUXILIARY NEEDLE BAR TO WITHDRAW SAID INTERMEDIATE NEEDLES FROM ACTION TO AN INACTIVE POSITION AND TO RETURN SAID INTERMEDIATE NEEDLES SELECTIVELY TO AN ACTIVE POSITION IN ALIGNMENT WITH SAID ALTERNATE NEEDLES, WHICH COMPRISES RACK GEARS FIXED TO SAID AUXILIARY BAR AND SELECTIVELY MOVABLE TO CAUSE SAID INTERMEDIATE NEEDLES TO MOVE TO AND FROM OPERATING POSITION, OSCILLATABLE GEAR MEMBERS IN MESHING RELATION WITH SAID RACK GEARS, AND CAM CONTROLLED LINKAGES ADAPTED TO FUNCTION IN CONJUNCTION THEREWITH. 